It’s six-man’s District of Doom. Perennial contenders Borden County, Garden City, and Rankin are left to compete for just two playoff spots.
And that’s not even factoring in Grady and Sands sides that both return a good amount of their production from a year ago.
With Garden City and Rankin both reloading this offseason, is it Borden County’s year to shine? Or will Grady and Sands have something to say in this district in 2023?
Here’s what to watch for in the gauntlet that is District 7-1A Division I.
Hall of fame meeting? Nah just the District 7 coaches meeting pic.twitter.com/Dw814OrJDr
— MarŦin🏴☠️ (@thecoachmartin) August 3, 2022
Borden County Coyotes
Head Coach: Trey Richey (17th season)
Last Season: 6-4; 2-2 in district
Borden County Key Players and Storylines
Not only had Borden County not missed the playoffs since 2007, the Coyotes hadn’t lost a district game since that season either.
Unfortunately for the Coyotes, both of those streaks came to an end last season as they were the odd one out behind fellow perennial playoff contenders Garden City and Rankin.
This year, the Coyotes will hope nine returning lettermen, including five starters returning on each side of the ball, will lead them back to the promised land of the playoffs.
Quarterback Ishamel Rodriguez (1,123 passing yards and 10 touchdowns; 987 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns) and running back Rhett Kingston (982 rushing yards and nine touchdowns) should power the Coyote offense again this year with their one-two punch out of the backfield.
When the Coyotes do turn to their passing attack, Koda Bigham (422 receiving yards) and Garrison Proctor (298 receiving yards) will both provide reliable targets.
Defensively, Bigham (92 tackles; 10 TFLs) and Datch Flanigan (66 tackles and 9 TFLs) should anchor the Coyotes in the trenches. The secondary should be another strength with the return of Zak Lewis (98 tackles; 11 TFLs) and Proctor (72 tackles and 5 TFLs)
There is no doubt regarding the experience Borden County will have on the field this year. The biggest question for Richey is whether his team’s size and depth will be enough to overcome Garden City and Rankin.
Expect another dogfight for the playoff places this year as the Coyotes look to return to the postseason in 2023.
Garden City Bearkats
Head Coach: Jeff Jones (9th season)
Last Season: 8-3; 3-1 in district (Lost to Westbrook in the bi-district round)
Garden City knocked off eventual state champion Westbrook in the regular season last year but couldn’t repeat the feat when the two squared off in the first round of playoffs.
There will be some new faces in new places this year for the Bearkats following the graduation of eight key players. Bearkat head coach Jeff Jones said his team will return just one player on each side of the ball this season.
Lineman Alejandro Talamantes (27 tackles, 9 TFLs) is arguably Garden City’s most important talented returning player after he earned first team all-district as a defensive lineman in 2022. Nathan Balcazar will be another important player in the trenches on both sides of the ball for the Bearkats.
Meanwhile, out at the skill positions, the Bearkats will look for running backs Denton Roe (244 rushing yards on 13 carries) and Blain Walts (205 rushing yards on 23 carries) to have increased roles out of the backfield this season. Both earned second team all-district honors a year ago despite limited action touting the football.
The Bearkats haven’t had a sub-.500 season since 2012. So despite the lack of experience returning, Jones believes with the right preparation his team will be ready to perform at a high level when it matters the most.
“We are going to have to fill some key positions this season,” Jones said. “Our non-district schedule (which includes Gordon, May, and Westbrook) will definitely prepare us for our very tough district. We always have high expectations, but the main focus will be improving week to week so we can peak at the right time.”
Grady Wildcats
Head Coach: Jourmain Matta (3rd Season)
Last Season: 2-8; 0-4 in district
Grady Key Players and Storylines
Getting realigned into one of the toughest districts in all of six-man football is certainly not what a Grady team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2018 was hoping for last February.
However, to its credit, Grady gave some of its district bunkmates quite the battle. The Wildcats fell by just eight to Sands and hung tight with Borden County for three quarters of their November contest.
Even better, many of Grady’s key players from a year ago return this year, including their de facto leader senior Hunter McAnally, who has been on varsity all four years he’s been at Grady.
The Wildcat offense will run through McAnally, a spreadback, (372 passing yards and six TDs; 1,021 rushing yards and 17 TDs) and running back/wide receiver Gunner Cherry (564 rushing yards and eight touchdowns) again this year. Both were first team all-district honorees a year ago.
If its not McAnally letting the ball fly, junior quarterback Marcus Brown (425 passing yards and two touchdowns) is another option for the Wildcats to lead the passing game. Moral of the story, Grady is well stocked with talent in its backfield.
On the other side of the ball, McAnally earned second team all-district as a utility player, while Brown was another key player from his safety position.
Keep an eye on defensive tackle Charles Deathrage who jumped right in as a freshman a year ago as an impact player in the trenches for the Wildcats.
Grady may have suffered some lumps in 2022, but virtually all of its production returns from last season. That should bode well as the Wildcats look to be increasingly competitive in district play this fall.
Rankin Red Devils
Head Coach: Garret Avalos (6th Season)
Last Season: 11-2; 4-0 in district (Lost to Westbrook in State Quarterfinals)
Rankin Key Players and Storylines
Rankin needs to do some reloading heading into this season as the Red Devils return just two starters on each side of the ball. However, four-straight district titles and six-straight playoff appearances prove the Red Devils have a knack for success no matter what holes they need to fill on the field.
Head Coach Garret Avalos said this year’s team will be led by three seniors who all played big roles last year.
Running back/cornerback Baret Jackson can do it all on both sides of the ball (2,075 rushing yards and 42 touchdowns; 50 total tackles). Linebacker Blake Bunger (84 tackles, 13 TFLs) will be an enforcer for Rankin on the defensive side. And completing the trio, fullback Roman Joyce will be another weapon out of the backfield (328 rushing yards and six touchdowns).
Rankin 52
Balmorhea 30Blake Bunger with the @Texas1AFan helmet sticker! #tcb pic.twitter.com/AOmQsOMSmt
— Rankin Athletics 🤟 (@RankinAthletics) August 27, 2022
When it comes to underclassmen stepping into bigger roles, defensive lineman Case Custer (40 total tackles) showed promise a year ago, while junior quarterback/safety Dash Davis is a player Avalos expects to step in and contribute this year after he primarily served as Rankin’s kicker a year ago (55 for 66 on PATs).
Avalos knows that sharing a district with Garden City and Borden County and a region with back-to-back state champion Westbrook means the Red Devils have a tough road ahead if they want to make another deep playoff run.
It’s why Avalos believes every moment from now leading up to district play will be crucial if his Red Devils want to replicate the success of their past.
“We will need to stay healthy and have a great offseason to ensure we have our best chance to compete,” Avalos said. “We are looking forward to a challenging schedule that will hopefully have us ready for another chance at a district title and playoff run.”
Sands Mustangs
Head Coach: Tye Keith (2nd Season)
Last Season: 2-8; 1-3 in district
Sands Key Players and Storylines
*Note: Sands’s individual stats do not include its final game against Garden City
Sands made the playoffs in both years it was in 1A Division II in 2020 and 2021. But the move up to 1A Division I combined with being placed in arguably the toughest six-man district in the state proved to be too much for the Mustangs.
Although they beat Grady in a 62-54 thriller, they fell by mercy rule to their other three district opponents.
However, head coach Tye Keith expects the Mustangs to be much better in 2023. Four starters return on each side of the ball for Sands. And while Keith has some hesitations about his team’s physicality, he believes their quickness will be a strength.
Offensively, it all starts in the backfield where there are a wealth of options. Running backs Michael Diaz (723 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns), Xavier Cisneros (445 rushing yards and seven touchdowns), and Anthony Haston (477 rushing yards and seven touchdowns) all return after playing key roles a year ago.
On the other side of the ball, those players will give Sands a formidable front. Haston and Diaz both play defensive end and both were all-district selections a year ago.
Behind them, linebacker Colby Hinton had a big freshman year and is primed to be one of Sands’ defensive leaders this season.
If there’s one thing that can be promised about Sands, it is that the Mustangs will be battle tested. In addition to their brutal district slate, they have quite the tough non-district slate that includes a Hermleigh team that won seven games last year and potential 1A Division II state contenders in Loraine and Klondike.
Keith hopes the tests they endured last year will pay off on the field this year as the Mustangs look to make some progress in the win column and claw their way into the playoff race this season.
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